Mistaken
by OOT Obssessed
Summary: When the whole Cullen family goes on a hunting trip and leaves Emmett to "babysit" Bella, what could happen, factoring in their suspicion of their mates loyalty?
1. My bad

BELLA X EMMETT:

BELLA'S POV:

"You'll be back soon, wont you?" I asked for what must've been the zillionth time. He sighed and said, "Yes, Bella, I'll be back soon. We are going to be gone for about a week and as far out as we are going to hunt, that is a pretty short amount of time." "Okay," I said, feeling needy. "Be safe." I whispered as he walked out the front door of his house. I was being babysat by Emmett (the Cullen I was closest to besides Alice) for the week while the rest of the Cullen family went on a far away hunting trip. The story for Charlie's benefit was that I was having a sleep over with Alice, but Alice was going with them. It would just be me and Emmett in the big white house alone. For some reason it worried me. I didn't have any reason to be worried, Emmett was big and strong enough that he could protect us if anything went wrong. "So, Bells," Emmett said, lounging on the back of the sofa, "what do you want to do first?" I felt the need to be alone and reassess the worries in the back of my mind at Edward's seeming distant-ness and how he seemed to get annoyed fairly easily more often now. He seemed like he was used to my clinginess a month ago. Maybe my stupid questions and worries were finally wearing on him? "Umm…," I stuttered, realizing Emmett was staring at me with what must be concern, waiting for my answer. "I think I'm going to go take a shower first." "Okay, if you slip on the floor, don't hesitate to yell." He smirked, always taking playful hits on my clumsiness, but the concern was still there in his eyes, trying to be buried by his joke. Like he was afraid I was going to commit suicide in the bathroom of the Cullen's house. I must really look bad. I walked over to my duffle bag, noting Emmett's exaggerated effort not to peek as I grabbed undergarments from it then covered them in my hand with pajamas. I walked slowly up the stairs to the big bathroom and listened to Emmett changing the channels on the TV from FOX News to a baseball game to The Looney Toons. I check myself in the mirror. My eyes seemed depressed. It was probably a product of my overactive imagination. I let the warm water in the shower run over my body, relaxing my muscles. But surely it wasn't JUST imagination. It seemed like Edward had been spending an awful lot of time Rosalie. Every time she said she was going to hunt (which seemed way too often considering the bright golden color of her eyes) Edward volunteered to go with her. He would say goodbye to me and then walk away to Rosalie and out the door. Did I imagine the look in his eyes when he saw her that he never seemed to smother completely when I was around to notice it? But then, surely Alice would tell me if she had seen anything going on with the two of them… Wouldn't she? I got out of the shower, dried and pulled on my clothes robotically, staring at the counter top, but not actually seeing it. I walked down the stairs even more slowly than I had come up them. My shower thinking had not been very reassuring. I sat cross-legged on the wooden floor in front of the sofa, staring blank-faced at a re-run of Friends. I wasn't really paying attention to the show; my thoughts were miles away by now, with a handsome bronze-haired angel and a beautiful blonde woman… I felt Emmett's hands on my shoulders, rubbing them lightly, massaging them. I closed my eyes and focused on Emmett's hands working magic on my tense shoulders. "Thanks, Emmett." I could hear the smile in his voice as he said, "No problem." We were both silent for a while. Then he said, "Look, don't worry about Edward, he's a big boy, he'll be fine. And if he gets hurt, he'll have someone back here to kiss his booboos." He chuckled a deep, rumble laugh. '_Or maybe he'll get Rosalie to kiss it for him.'_ I wondered if Emmett had noticed any of the things I had been seeing between the two of them. "Umm… Emmett?" I asked hesitantly. "What is it?" he asked softly, sounding honestly concerned. "Have you… noticed anything… Different? Between Rose and Edward, I mean?" He stopped rubbing my shoulders and I could feel his tense posture behind me even before I turned to see the shock and hurt on his face. He composed himself quickly, then with a disappointed set to his eyes, said, "You noticed to, huh? I was hoping it was just me. Yeah, I have. At first I thought maybe they had just gotten over their aversion to each other and I thought that was a good thing. But, soon, it seemed like they had become a little TOO close. I thought maybe I was just being stupid and imagining things, so I made sure to keep my mind off it around Edward. But you bringing it up… I guess maybe… I was right." He sighed and rested his face in his hands. I moved up onto the couch beside him, gently rubbing my hand across his back, trying to make him feel better. We sat like this for quite a while, him being a vampire, he didn't have to move due to discomfort. I, on the other hand, was human. I eventually fell asleep, the circular motions of my hand eventually goading me into unconsciousness.

EMMETT'S POV:

I couldn't believe I had been right. I tried not to think about it as much as possible, but I kept my head down so Bella wouldn't see the pain this put me in. Maybe if she didn't see how much it hurt me, she wouldn't feel the need to be hurting. I concentrated on the steady soothing motion of her hand on my back, counting each rotation. After the 134th, the circles slowed and I heard snoring. I picked my head up, keeping my hands where they were, and looked over to Bella. She was curled up around a pillow, leaning on the arm of the sofa. I almost laughed. But something in her expression stopped me. It was too pained. It seemed she was concentrating very hard, even in sleep. She must have been dreaming about Edward and Rosalie. I knew I would be having the same nightmares, could I have dreamed. A piece of her hair fell to her face. She must have felt it because she frowned, twitching her nose trying to get it to move. I stood and moved the strand gently, tucking it behind her ear. She was very beautiful. I could now see what Edward meant when he said she was. Sure, she had been pretty, but she seemed too clumsy, too shy to be beautiful. But she was. I decided I should probably move her up to Edward's room. He might be annoyed if she didn't use the bed that was only ever used when she was here. She was the only one who was ever here that needed one. I tried to detach her grasp on the pillow and slid my arms under her body, lifting her easily. I walked up the stairs swiftly, her weight nowhere near enough to slow me down. I turned the bedside lamp on, but left the overhead light off, thinking she would wake if the light were too bright but not being sure if her clumsiness would be intensified by complete darkness. I set her down gently on the bed and started to pull my arms out from under her. "Edward." she said, sounding like her heart was breaking. She grabbed my arm and held tight to me. She must have been dreaming about him holding her as I was now. "Don't leave… Please." She started kissing her way up my arm, over my shoulder and reaching up for my neck. I didn't know what I should do. I probably should have pushed her down (gently, so as not to break her) but something in me knew what would happen next and wanted it. But it never happened. She woke up before she reached the tip of my chin. "OH!" she said, eyes wide with alarm. "Emmett… I'm sorry!" I couldn't think of anything to say to her, so I pulled my arms slowly out from under her the rest of the way. I began to walk out of the room, not really seeing what I looked at. Why hadn't I stopped her? I would have been able to. Physically, at least. But before I reached the door, I heard sobs coming from the middle of the large bed. That melted me. I turned and sat back down on the bed next to her, saying, "Hey, shhh… It's okay, no harm done." She tried to talk, but little sobs broke through her speech. "Its… Not you. It's… EDWARD!" She pulled her knees up with her arms around them, resting her head against the tops of her knees. I felt awkward just sitting there, so I eased my arm over her shoulder and leaned over, letting her rest her head on my shoulder. She continued to cry until she lifted her head, wiped a few tears off her cheek and smiled apologetically. I didn't need to forgive her, I understood why she cried. "Hey, listen. Any guy would be lucky to have you. I don't know why Edward would take his chances ruining something with you when he knows just how amazing you really are. Probably even more than I do and I'm telling you all of this." I raised my hand to wipe a tear away from her blushing cheek. "You are smart," I could feel my voice getting deeper, raspier. "funny," My vision was unclear with the closeness of our faces as we both leaned forward. "and extremely… amazingly…. Beautiful." Our mouths met then and I knew nothing but Bella. Her mouth, her voice, her taste, her sorrows. Most of all her sorrows. Because mine and hers were the same. My hand reached up slowly, resting on her cheek. I could feel the blood that rushed up there and it tempted me. I felt fire in my throat and I still wanted more. In the moment our lips were pressed softly together, I knew no desire but her, no beauty but her, no other soul but her. I wanted nothing more than Bella. What was I saying? She was Edward's and I was Rosalie's… But they were probably cheating on us with each other. And I wanted her so bad. No. I broke the kiss and we both pulled away, our breath ragged and shallow. I touched her cheek once more, feeling the warmth of her blush and then pulled my hand back down. "Sorry." I whispered, then dashed out of the room.


	2. Tickle me Bella

BELLA'S POV:

"Sorry." he breathed against my face. Before I could blink again, he was gone. I pulled the covers up and slid my legs under them before pulling them up to my eyes and then turning off the beside lamp. What was that? Emmett had kissed me! He wasn't supposed to do that! But… I had actually kind of wanted him to. When he was moving in closer, telling me traits he admired about me, each movement of his head that put his mouth closer to mine had eager anticipation building in my throat. My heart had sped crazily and I had been blushing out of control. His lips had been so soft and cold and gentle on mine. I wanted him to come back up and kiss me again and again. But that couldn't happen. I was with Edward and he was with Rosalie. Or were Edward and Rosalie together? Whatever the case was, I knew it was wrong of me to want him to kiss me again. That didn't stop me from wanting it, though. That night, I dreamed of Emmett kissing me.

EMMETT'S POV:

After I could hear her breathing deepen and her snoring fire up, I decided to test another of Edward's ideas. Edward has said she was beautiful and he'd been right… He had also said it was fun to watch her sleep and listen to her talk. I had thought he was crazy before… But now, I was thinking that maybe he might be right. I walked upstairs swiftly but silently and entered the room without even the creak of a floorboard. I sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to jostle the mattress too much, and watched. Edward had been right. Every now and then she would make a face at which I had to completely stop breathing so I didn't laugh. After a few minutes, the talking started. She sighed and then mumbled something about "irritating vampires". She could have been talking about any one of us. The rest of her jabber made no sense. Just a few garbled words like "jackass" and "unreliable" stood out enough for me to make sense of it. The talking stopped for a while, so I decided she must be close to waking and she may feel uncomfortable waking up with me watching her, after what happened last night. I went downstairs and began cooking eggs and bacon for the human. I had been listening in on her breathing to make sure she didn't die in her sleep or something. With her luck, she would. It was just so Bella. Suddenly, her breathing spiked and her heart beat faster. I was frozen I wasn't sure if I should go up just yet. Then she said, "Emmett…" I was shocked. She was dreaming about me? "Kiss me… again…" she said in a low voice. If I could have blushed I would have been. I heard her begin to stir and knew she must be waking up. She stumbled clumsily off the bed, almost crashing to the floor in the process and went to her bag, which I had brought up in her sleep. I heard the sound of fabric being tossed around together. Eventually, she padded across the hall and went into the bathroom, changing her clothes. I tried not to listen too intently to that part. And I did a pretty good job. I kept my eyes and ears on the food, making sure I didn't burn anything. When she was done, she sniffed the air and made her way down the stairs in a pair of dark blue jeans and a light blue tank top. Her hair hung straight, barely waving to the middle of her back. She sat in one of the stools pulled up to the island, managing to cross her legs in the small seat. I scooped the hot eggs out of the pan and dumped them on a plate with 3 pieces of bacon and a slice of buttered toast. I grabbed the plate up and slid it across the island to her, saying, "Morning sleepyhead." with a smile. I was trying to act like last night had not happened. She looked confused and then shrugged and looked down at the food, shoveling the eggs down and making a face when she realized they were too hot. I laughed and grabbed a glass of milk for her before she could die of something as lame as a scorched throat. She chugged the milk and mouthed "thank you" before turning back to her food. She continued to scarf down the food as I wandered into the living room and turned on the news channel. I didn't really pay attention. I was too interested in what she was doing to notice anything. World War III could be going on and I would still be paying more attention to her movements, her mannerisms, her habits. I wasn't sure why I was trying to commit her pattern of behavior to memory, but it kept me from having to think too much about the confusion of her whispering my name in her sleep. It had sounded so much like she wanted me. And I thought I wanted her too… It was strange how fast things had went from normal to completely strange and unfamiliar in just one night. That one kiss was all it took to change how things were never really awkward or tense between us. Now it seemed like we were trying to stay away from each other. She had already inhaled her breakfast and put away her dishes, rinsing them and sticking them in the dishwasher. Now she was just puttering around in the kitchen, apparently looking for something to occupy time so she wouldn't have to come out here… With me… I couldn't get rid of the unreasonable let down this was for me. I had actually wanted to spend time with her today. Or at least I had before I had kissed her. Before that kiss, me and Bella had been pretty good friends. We got along easily, she was fun to talk to, and I imagined she liked my company, too. But I had kissed her last night, making things very awkward for her. But I needed to talk to her. It was odd, having her around and not talking to her. She used to be the only person I talked to. And now I was completely silent.

BELLA'S POV:

For someone that didn't need to eat, Emmett was a very good cook. But the breakfast hadn't lasted long enough. I had been trying to waste time so I wouldn't have to face Emmett after last night. But my stomach had gotten the better of me, forcing me to eat faster than was actually necessary. I didn't know how to deal with what had happened last night. I set my plate, fork, and glass in the sink, then rinsed them off before putting them in the dishwasher. I looked around the kitchen, trying to postpone walking out, trying to find something to do. But there was nothing. I didn't want to, but I knew I didn't have a choice. I walked out of the kitchen and sat on the couch with Emmett. I sat as far away from him as I could without looking like I was trying to stay away from him. I leaned over the arm of the couch and pretended to watch the news. Emmett coughed but I knew it was fake, vampires didn't cough. So I looked up at him. "Umm… I'm not sure what last night was all about, but I'm really sorry about it." Even if I had wanted to be mad at him for last night (which I didn't) I wouldn't have been able to, the way his face looked. "Its okay. I kissed back, so its not all your fault." I said, patting his shoulder. Then I realized that my words could be taken differently. "Well, I mean, its no one's FAULT, but… You know what I mean." Emmett laughed at my little screw up. His laughter was so easy, I couldn't help but join in. After the laughter died out, he asked, "So… Are we all good, now? No awkwardness?" I smiled and nodded. "We're all good." Suddenly, Emmett grinned mischievously and said, "Hey, Bella, can I ask you something?" Confused, I said, "Sure, what's up?" He stood suddenly and said, "Are you ticklish?" But before I could answer, his hands came for my stomach, trying to tickle me. I yelled and tried to jump over the back of the sofa, but his vampire reflexes were too fast for me. He reached up and wound his arm around my waist, pulling me gently back down to the couch. I couldn't stop the laughter any more than I could stop his tickles. I kicked and swung my arms, but really all it was doing was making me look like a flailing idiot. "EMMETT!" I screamed in the middle of bursts of giggles. "STOP!" But my pleas were drowned out by laughter. Eventually he stopped and sat on the part of the couch most of my body wasn't covering. My hair must have been a mess, so I began pushing strays down to my head. Emmett laughed and then stood, holding out his hand for me to stand up. "I'm going to make this more fun for you." He said, smiling hugely. I eyed him suspiciously. "How?" He grabbed my wrist and tugged me to one of the cabinets beside the TV and we sat on the floor in front of it. He grabbed the handles to the door and stared at me excitedly. Inside the cabinet was every board game known to man. I stared, open-mouthed. "Which one do you want to play first?"


	3. Yahtzee, movies, and naptime

EMMETT'S POV:

Usually things like this didn't really interest me. We were playing Yahtzee when I realized that this was more fun than I had ever hoped to have playing a silly human game. But Bella made it interesting. Every time she lost, she frowned making me laugh. Most of her expressions were hilarious to me. Her reaction to everything was funny. When the game was over, she asked what movies we had. I showed her our large collection. She choose one she said she liked. It was a chick flick. Of course it was. I popped it into the DVD player and waited for the previews to be over with. "Want some popcorn?" I asked, trying to be nice. "Sure." she said, smiling. I went to the kitchen, opened the pantry door, and grabbed the box of popcorn. I read the box for the time to leave it in the microwave and then stuck it in, letting the popping of the kernels ease my anxious mind. Every time she talked, or laughed, I would watch her thick red lips and wish that I could have one more moment like last night. I wanted to feel her warm skin beneath my fingers, I wanted to taste her mouth again and again, I wanted her to say my name in her sleep again. I couldn't explain these irrational desires. I just wanted… HER. I could still hear her heart in here and I wished with everything in me that her heart beat for me and not my two-timing brother. I remembered the feel of her smooth skin blushing under my touch. The beep of the microwave forced me back into the present time. I yanked the bag from the microwave and opened it on my way to the couch. "Be careful, its hot. We don't want to have another egg incident, do we?" She took the bag carefully and grabbed the blanket that was thrown over the back of the couch and set it in her lap, shielding her legs from the scalding burn of the hot bag. She poked her hand into the bag and came out with two pieces of yellow puff and popped them into her mouth carefully, making sure she didn't burn her mouth. The movie started and she settled more comfortably into the couch. Usually, when we sat on the same couch, she wasn't so far away. Maybe she still felt awkward about last night. I went to turn the lights off. The glare might not be as annoying to me, but it was sure to irritate her. While I was there, I turned the fan off, hoping she wouldn't notice. Maybe if she got hot enough, she would look to me to cool her down with my cold skin. When I sat down I realized I was a scheming jerk. But I didn't care if it bought me a few seconds with her in my arms. Or at least closer. I sat back down, a little farther away from the arm, but not enough to where she would notice. Her feet where just a little bit farther away from me. I wished she would move closer. The couple on the screen was in the middle of a very mushy gushy talk about how in love they were. I wondered briefly if I could possibly love Bella. No. You cant just love someone after one night. One misguided attempt at forgetting your cheating girlfriend. One little kiss. But it was so much more than that to me. When I finally stopped thinking and started paying attention to the movie, it was almost halfway over. "Emmett?" Bella asked shyly. "What is it?" I asked, hoping she was too hot. "It is really hot in here." Yesssss! "Here." I pretended moving closer to her was no more than a friendly favor. But inside, I couldn't wait for enough time to pass so that she wouldn't notice when my arm slowly moved around her shoulders. My skin must've felt very nice to her, because she kicked off the blanket and set the bag of popcorn on the table and then held my arm to herself. There went the arm over her shoulder thing. We continued to watch the movie. Or at least she did. I was hoping for something, anything, to happen so that I could do something. For a piece of hair to fall so that I could sweep it back behind her ear. For her to fall asleep so I could hold her and listen for my name again. For her to do something that would give me some kind of opening. I watched her face the whole time, not even bothering to pretend to watch the movie. She wouldn't notice. It wasn't until I felt her shake that I realized she was crying. I lifted my hand and brushed the tear away, then said, "Hey, its okay, what's the matter?" I tried to speak as softly as I could. It must have worked, she held my arm to her with more force than before. Another broken sob shook her frame. "Edward u-used to s-s-say that to me, too!" Seeing her in this much pain hurt me. I knew what she meant. Rosalie had said so many things to me that had turned out to be all lies. "Its alright, Bells. Shhh, it'll be okay, I promise." I crooned, trying to soothe her. Eventually her crying became to much and she buried her face in my chest. I curled one arm around her and the other stroked her hair, trying to make her feel better. She looked up at me suddenly, her eyes wet and searching, pleading with me. But I didn't know what it was she wanted. "Emmett? Can you do something for me?" At that moment, I would do anything for her. She was so completely broken, it seemed like what she was about to ask me was something very important, something that she needed. "Of course." I answered immediately. "Promise?" she asked. The fact that she would make me promise made me wary at once. I let it go. I had to give her anything I could, I would do anything to get rid of the tears in her eyes. "I promise." She nodded, looked down and wiped her eyes and when she looked back up, she had a determined look in her eyes. She knew what she wanted and she would get it if it was up to me. And apparently, it was. She leaned forward slowly and kissed slowly from my jaw to my ear and then she whispered, "Kiss me, Emmett. Kiss me with everything you have. Kiss me like you love me, like you need me. Make me feel important. Kiss me like you did last night." I couldn't resist this kind of temptation. I grabbed her calve and pulled it forward, making her lean back, almost laying down. I leaned down so my face was just centimeters from hers. I slowly leaned in, letting the tension build before our lips touched lightly. It started out as just a sweet, slow kiss. Then, she grabbed at the back of my head, grabbing a handful of my hair and I slid my hand under her, placing it at the small of her hand while the other hand held her leg in place, with her knee at my hip. The kiss grew larger. Our lips never broke away and I had to remind myself that she was human and she needed air. I pulled away for a short second, long enough for her to get another gulp of air and then I let my lips wander back to her mouth. Her lips parted and her sweet breath sent flames tunneling down my throat. I could deal with it if I got this. I snarled low in my throat and she instantly pulled me closer to her, apparently responding to the noise. I pulled my mouth from hers and moved it down to her neck, kissing lightly up and down the side of her neck. She let the hand that wasn't tangled in my hair trace down my chest and down the muscles over my stomach to the edge of my t-shirt. She tugged on it questioningly. I nodded, letting her take the shirt off me. As soon as my naked torso was revealed, I heard her gasp. She must not be used to muscles this big with Edward. I went back to her mouth, letting my tongue trace her warm, moist lips. I wanted her so much! How was I not exploding with desire? I didn't care. The feeling she gave me was amazing. "Bella." I said in her ear quietly. She held onto me tighter. Her skin was so soft and warm. Each passing second, it seemed I wanted her more and I was surprised by each increase in desire. I sighed internally, knowing this would have to stop soon. I picked her up off of me and set back next to me. She seemed to understand that was all that could happen. "Thank you, Emmett." she said sincerely. The movie was pretty much over, the credits just rolling. "You're welcome." I said in a raspy voice. We were both still breathing deep. I decided it was time for the human to eat. I walked to the kitchen and prepared a sandwich and some potato chips on a plate which I brought to her. She smiled at me when I handed it to her. It was different than normal. It was more than just the polite, friendly smile I was used to. Something about it was different. When she was finished, I took her things to the kitchen and she gave me the same smile. When I came back, she had a book in her hand and she was reading. I walked upstairs to Carlisle's room and picked a book at random, not at all intending to read it. I went back to the couch and opened the page, looking over the top of the book at Bella's face. I concentrated mainly on her face, but I tried to remind myself to flip the page at regular intervals. I wasn't sure how long we had been reading, but it had to have been over an hour. It was 4:15. What would we do now? I was done pretending, getting bored with holding the book in my hands. I wanted to do something. To talk to her again. She finally sighed and set down her book. "Bella," I started. "I know you love Edward very much and I know it was probably not the best idea for us to have kissed again. I promise I wont do it again." It was weird to be the responsible one. Her face fell slightly. "Yeah, you're probably right." I must have been imagining what I thought was disappointment in her voice. "What are we going to do now?" I asked. "I was thinking about a nap." She answered. "Bella? Its 4:30 in the afternoon." She nodded as if this were a reasonable time for a nap. Maybe I was out of touch with humans and this was the perfect time for a nap, but I'd thought it would have been more around midday. "Okay." She looked uncomfortable for a moment. "What is it?" I asked as she fidgeted. "Umm… Well, Edward always used to lay with me and hold me while I slept… and when I cant feel his arms around me… I have nightmares." She seemed almost scared. "Are you asking me to sleep with you?" I asked teasingly, but wanting her very much to say yes, then I wouldn't have to practically spy on her in her sleep. She chuckled. "I guess I am." She looked to the floor, ashamed, cheeks red. "okay." I said. I stood and held my hand out to her. She took it and smiled that same different smile at me and then we walked upstairs to Edward's room. She crawled under the covers and I laid on top of the covers, so I didn't make her too cold. We were both laying there awkwardly until Bella decided she was too tired to feel awkward. She grabbed my hand and pulled it under her, so it was behind her and I knew what to do with the other arm. My arms were completely wrapped around her. She hesitantly wrapped her arms around my waist. Her skin felt warm on my bare skin (I hadn't bothered putting the shirt back on). She rested her head on my chest and fell asleep almost immediately.


	4. Dreaming of You Now

BELLA'S POV:

My dream starred Emmett. We were back downstairs, still kissing. Edward would never kiss me like that. Emmett was much more fun.

I still missed Edward, but Emmett was filling that hole more and more each minute.

When we stopped, Emmett pulled me up and held me. He kissed lightly up and down my cheek, across the length of my neck, over my jaw again and again. Any time there was a long enough pause for me to lean over and peck him on the lips again, I did.

His cool lips were much fuller than Edward's had been. I wanted his mouth back on mine badly, so I pulled his face back up to mine.

His breath smelled amazing. We had stopped kissing and we were just staring into each other's eyes.

Then he stopped breathing and spoke, "I love you."

Then he kissed me again.

I was still asleep, but the dreams had ended. In my sleep, I could still feel Emmett's body next to mine, his strong arms around me. There was a difference in him and Edward, but I didn't mind it. Emmett was much bigger and the way his body was set on the bed was much more relaxed than Edward would have been. It felt effortless to lay there in Emmett's arms.

I wondered what Edward would think if he had walked in the room right this moment. I didn't let that thought last long. I decided I didn't care what Edward thought about it. He was cheating on me.

EMMETT'S POV:

She spoke my name several times. She spoke his very little.

And it was when she said, "Much better than Edward…"

I smiled at that. But I knew she still loved him.

"I miss you… Edward."

I knew it.

But then, she sighed my name again. "Emmett…" and she smiled.

I couldn't help the chuckle that built up low in my chest. It shook her a little, but that made her hold me closer. She clutched at my back and tried to pull me closer. I moved forward, laying on my side with her sleeping body facing me.

I watched her and realized I actually might be starting to love her. I was beginning to recognize small things about her that I found cute. Like how she bit her lip when she was concentrating hard, or how she talked in her sleep. I was starting to need these things.

It was happening so fast. But Carlisle had a theory that vampires fell in love faster than humans did. It would make sense for me to love her.

But did I? I wasn't sure yet.

"I love you."

WHAT? WHO? Who did she love? Edward. Of course, she would always love Edward.

"Emmett."

So she was dreaming about me and telling me she loved me. Did that mean she did? Maybe…

I hoped, maybe foolishly, that she did. I wanted to be hers so bad. I had never felt anything like this before. Not even with Rose.

Her arms started drawing me closer and closer to her. She looked like she was trying to kiss me. But I had promised her I wouldn't kiss her again…

But she was asleep. She wouldn't know. Unless she woke up while I was kissing her. I didn't care anymore.

She obviously wanted me to kiss her. If she had been talking about me and kissing someone, it was likely to be me. So I leaned forward slowly and placed my lips very lightly on hers.

Who knew someone could sleep-kiss? She pulled herself closer to me. I wasn't sure how she could be able to do that, we were already pressed against each other.

And then I heard her gasp. I opened my eyes to see her staring, wide-eyed, at me.

"Umm…" I said, brightly. "I'm sorry."

I pulled my arms back and laid on my back, staring at the ceiling.

"It's alright." She said.

I turned to stare at her incredulously. "What? I just promised you that I wouldn't kiss you again and I kissed you while you were asleep. I'm pretty sure that's not alright."

She sat up cross-legged and put her hands in her lap. She stared down at her hands and said, "But… What if I… Wanted you to?"

I was dumbstruck. I just stared at her face for a long time.

When I regained the ability to speak, I said, "Well… I, umm… Guess that changes things…"

I turned my face back to staring at the ceiling, a confused look on my face. She HAD wanted me to kiss her. Sure I had somehow convinced myself she did, but it was different to hear it straight from her perfect mouth…

"And anyways, its not like anybody is going to know what happened but us. I mean, you wont tell anybody will you?" she asked.

I hadn't actually thought about that before, but I knew my answer immediately. "No. I wont tell anyone." I said, still looking up.

"So… Since we are keeping this a secret…"

I felt the bed move so I knew she had moved closer to me. She leaned her face over mine, but I knew what she had been trying to say before she had even moved.

"Kiss me." she whispered.

She said it with such longing. I couldn't help myself, once again. My mouth molded to shape hers. I sat up and turned to her.

She put her hands on my chest, looking at it appreciatively. Then she turned her hungry gaze back on me. She started the kiss, pressing her body to mine with such force I was sure she must want me as much as I wanted her.

"Emmett…" she whispered. "I love you."

I was taken by surprise. I completely stopped what I was doing and stared her straight in the face, showing her everything, completely letting my guard down.

"I love you too." I said hoarsely.

She smiled and pulled her face back to mine. This time the kiss was less fierce, more slow and sweet. More like the first. It had been one night and a little more than half a day since Bella had been turned over to my care, and already I had kissed my brother's girl 4 times.

I felt horrible, but remembering that he and Rose were probably shacking up behind our backs got rid of the guilt. I kissed her like I needed her, like she was the most important thing in the world, like I loved her. And I did. I needed her now. She was the most important thing in my life now. I did love her. I wanted to know her. Everything about her. I wanted to know how things made her feel, what her favorite movie was, why she could stand to stay with Edward, knowing that he was with Rosalie. I wanted to know her mother's middle name, her favorite pet, every tiny little detail about her life.

From this moment on, I knew I could not live without Bella Swan.


	5. The Truth

BELLA'S POV:

Always the cautious one, Edward reached forward and grabbed me around my waist, pulling me behind his back to shield me from whatever it was in front of us.

The person didn't seem to be threatening. I leaned to the side to peek shyly out from behind my love.

"Emmett?" I heard myself ask.

What was Emmett doing here? I had just been having the time of my life with Edward. We were just exploring the depth of our love for each other when Emmett had broken through.

I felt suddenly drawn toward him. I felt the need to hug him and hold him. And with these new emotions toward Emmett, I felt new emotions to Edward… I was furious with him, accusing him.

I was interested, vitally engrossed in the dream; I wanted to know what would happen next. But it never ended.

I was standing halfway between them, leaning more in the direction of Emmett than Edward, when the dream dissolved into subconscious nothingness.

EMMETT'S POV:

I could feel the moment her dream turned into a nightmare. Her body had tensed up and she was saying everything in a panicky, hurt tone.

"Why?" she said over and over.

And then she said my name, and Edward's too, all jumbled up with other things I couldn't seem to make out. Then she said, "Who do I pick?"

I was confused and a little hurt, so I left the room.

It was foolish of me to feel hurt. She was Edward's not mine… But if she was… NO! I stopped that thought before it could plant painful seeds in my head that would only make me muse endlessly about what might have been if she picked me. So if she didn't, I wouldn't be surprised.

She was Edward's… Never mine.

BELLA'S POV:

I woke to an empty bed. Just me and the pillow that would have been suffocating had it had the ability to breathe. It seemed my life depended on my grip on the cloth-encased feathers.

I tried to remember the dream I had had. Before I could pull the dream completely back into my train of thought, a small knock sounded at the partially closed door.

"Yeah?" I asked shakily, my voice raspy from sleep.

"Can I come in?" came Emmett's voice from the other side of the white door.

"Sure." I said quietly.

He walked in slowly and sat on the bed next to me.

"So I heard some things from your dream." Emmett started out awkwardly.

I blushed and put my face in my hands, embarrassed.

"What did you hear?" I asked.

"'Who do I pick?' You should pick Edward. You were his before you even knew me. I want you to pick Edward."

I looked up, shocked. "Why?"

"Because, you two belong together."

I still didn't get it.

"But he is cheating on me." I said.

"He might not be… We could just be mistaken."

It took a moment to process all of that. Well, I didn't have any actual proof, and Edward had always said I was the only girl for him. But wasn't that what all guys told their girlfriends before they cheated on them. No. I guessed that with vampires, relationships ran more deep than that. Edward really was a good guy, the odds of him cheating on me were very slim.

I sighed in defeat, realizing now that I had just cheated on him, when he had actually probably not been cheating on me.

I felt terrible. Like maybe I would throw up.

"Hey," Emmett said, using the side of one knuckle to lift my face. "It'll be okay. Edward cant read your mind and I can just not think about it."

I tried to convince myself he was right. But if I found out that Edward had actually not been cheating on me, I would probably tell him what had happened anyway.

I closed my eyes and leaned back on the bed. Before I knew it, I was asleep again.

EMMETT'S POV:

The rest of the week passed with little talking and little contact with each other at all.

She did all of her own cooking and I stayed in Alice's room, not knowing why this room, of all the rooms in the large house, provided the most comfort.

I listened intently to the sound of her heart beating and the things she did. Mostly she sat on the couch and read or watched TV.

I wished I could hear what she was thinking the way Edward couldn't.

BELLA'S POV:

The rest of the week passed slowly and quietly.

Even with all of the distractions of TV and books and the Cullen's seemingly endless supply of board games, my thoughts still managed to find their way back to Emmett in whatever room he was hiding out in. Even if I had known where he was, I wouldn't have gone to find him. I was too confused.

What would happen after the rest of the family came back? Would Emmett stay pretending like I didn't exist? Or would he put on a smile and make everyone believe that nothing had happened in the week they were gone?

On the day they were supposed to arrive back home, I stood staring out of the long, windowed wall of Edward's room, my forehead pressed against the cold glass, my breath making a small circle of fog right in front of my mouth.

I felt a gentle arm wrap around me and some small kisses were placed right along my neck.

"What is the matter?" a familiar voice whispered in my ear.

"Edward, I've just missed you so much." I lied smoothly, turning and wrapping my arms around his cold, rigid sides.

"I've missed you too, Bella." he said so intensely that I was reminded of my assumption and kicked myself internally for ever doubting what I had with Edward. "So how was your week?" he asked, pulling my hand and leading me to the bed where he cradled me in his lap.

"Good… Emmett has expanded his arsenal of klutz jokes." I lied again, hoping this seemed a legitimate enough claim.

He chuckled and nodded, adding a soft kiss to my forehead.

I smiled and wished he had never left and all of that childish nonsense with Emmett had never happened. I felt horrible for having kissed Emmett, even under the impression that Edward was cheating on me.

He shifted for a moment and said, "It was going to be a surprise, but I cant keep this from you. I don't want you to think that I was sneaking off with Rosalie for anything that you wouldn't approve of because, no doubt, you have noticed us both going away at the same times."

I sometimes wondered if maybe he really couldn't read my mind. I used extra care in making sure I didn't think about anything bad that had happened this weekend. Just in case.

"We were working on something, a construction project. That's where all of us were this week, building on it. I… Well, I'm not going to tell you want it is, but I will tell you that it is a surprise for you. So act surprised when you see it, please?" Then he laughed to himself and said, "Who am I kidding? You're a terrible liar."

I was glad he still thought that so he would never have any reason to think twice about the friendship between Emmett and I.

Bella and Emmett never let up their façade of "only friends" around Rosalie and Edward, but every now and then, one or the other will sneak a glance at them and when they are alone, they remember what passed between them in those few days they were given. Nobody ever suspected anything had happened, but they will always wonder what might have happened, had they not been mistaken.


End file.
